Creating a Productive Work Culture

How to create a productive work environment and culture

To create a productive environment, you need to create a positive workplace, recruit people who share your company values, embrace inclusivity and diversity, prioritise respect in the workplace, and allow everyone the chance to succeed.

Here are our dos and don’ts when creating a positive work culture.

Do:

• Do ensure goals are communicated and understood, so everyone knows what they are aiming for, giving them a sense of
  purpose at work
• Do be transparent with your communication, this will build trust and gain the respect of your employees.
• Do use inclusive language in all forms of communication.
• Do allow time for performance reviews and constructive feedback. Include part-time, full-time, contractors and temporary staff in this process.
• Do accept and react to your employee feedback. If presented with a pain point, take the opportunity to resolve this
  immediately.
• Do welcome employees from all backgrounds and celebrate their differences.
• Do allow for humour, as this can be used to defuse stress in the workplace.
• Do plan social gatherings, allowing employees to develop meaningful relationships.
• Do ensure everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to share their ideas, regardless of their employment status.
• Do offer flexible working, allowing employees a way to work around their home life will ensure they continue to be productive.
• Do establish a zero-tolerance policy to bullying or sexual harassment within the workplace.
• Do formally reward employees for their achievements. Recognising success makes people feel valued, motivated, and more productive.

Don’t:

• Don’t forget that a positive company culture is created by everyone.
• Don’t tolerate poor managers, as this greatly impacts staff. Employees with good managers are more likely to thrive.
• Don’t retain toxic or disengaged employees, as they are counterproductive to your team’s productivity. Either find them a more suitable position or ask them to leave the company.
• Don’t encourage employees to work through their breaks. Time to rest allows people to relax and recharge, making them more productive and positive.
• Don’t reschedule team meetings or performance reviews. Sticking to your commitment demonstrates that your employees are valued and respected.
  Don’t limit learning opportunities. Allow employees to pursue their passions, as this will encourage them to strive for success.
• Don’t hire based only on skills, as these can be taught. Hire people based on their values and culture fit.
• Don’t force it! A positive company culture takes time. Stick to your values, listen to feedback, adapt accordingly, and allow time for fun, as companies with happy employees will thrive.

 

How to support and motivate employees

To maintain productivity, manage performance and engage your employees, you need to establish a clear reporting structure, implement good communication, introduce flexible working policies, and motivate by using benefits or rewards.

A company culture that focuses on supporting employee growth, combined with a positive work environment, will drive company success.

Establish team projects, as collaborations encourage problem-solving, give a broader perspective, enable knowledge sharing, raise motivation levels, and improve employee happiness. 

Empower your employees by giving them a variety of work and altering who they work with, allowing them to share opinions and providing them with the opportunity to demonstrate autonomy at work.

Setting your employees challenging but achievable personalised goals that feed into the organisation’s overall goals, will unlock their potential, aid their development, and push them to increase their productivity. Everyone has their preferred working style, by successfully accommodating different working styles within your company, you will give everyone the chance to shine.

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To create a strong company culture, reduce turnover, improve employee engagement, and increase productivity, you need to create a supportive workplace for all, focus on staff development and give all employees a deeper sense of purpose.

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